


Technicolor

by helpmeimstuckon



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: General LaFerry fluffyness, Misgendering, Other, Perry is too but doesn't use her powers, Perry's mom's a witch, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Seeing colors, and it isn't a factor in this tbh, unintentional misgendering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-04-03 02:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4083754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helpmeimstuckon/pseuds/helpmeimstuckon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>LaFontaine has always been able to see colors. Even when they were Susan. They don't even realize it's weird until years later. They especially don't realise that the first colors they had were ones that mimicked Perry.</p><p>LaFerry Soulmate AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Technicolor

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been working on this for ages and I hope you all like it. 
> 
> It’s about 3000 words long, unedited, and was originally posted on tumblr. TW minor unintentional misgendering

LaFontaine has always been able to see colors. Even when they were Susan. When they are very young they don't realise its strange. They just like that their hair and Lola Perry's hair match in a way that not even Mommy seems to realise. Lola is the only one who knows. Lola also, if you had asked LaF about her at the time, their best friend in the world, likes velociraptors more than Tyrannosaurus Rexes, and thinks that cheerios are the best because you can add sugar and make them as sweet as you want.  
When they are seven its simple. Colors aren't anything strange until LaF realises no one else seems to see them.

When they're about 10 people start talking about how boys have cooties, and how Jan likes Tommy, and other silly stuff LaFontaine didn't really care about. LaFontaine cares about not being called Susie because Susie is a little kid name and Susan was a big kid name. LaFontaine didn't care until they heard the other kids joking that Sarah saw colors after she met the new girl. How that made Sarah weird. How that meant Sara liked girls. Lola, who likes Perry more now because of that Lola-showgirl-song, didn't seem to care. "Auntie Ruth likes girls. What's the big problem?" She had put on her best mom voice and pulled Sarah away and back to LaFontaine to play monsters.

When they were 13, Perry got a boyfriend. LaFontaine didn't like that. Perry still didn't see colors, not even with "this Bradon kid" (as LaF had taken to calling him) LaF thought Perry should see colors in someone if she was going to date them.  
"Why does it matter, Susan?" Perry shot a look at LaF, who was tempting the flame of the candle on Perry's bedside table with their fingertips, then she went back to pining back every curl into a tight bun. It made LaF sad. She missed the curls when they were in hiding. Perry continued, "Besides, your parents don't see colors but they still love each other."  
"I know, but colors are just... they're magic, Perr. You should wait for them."  
"Just because you see colors does not mean I will."  
"Of course you will."  
"Face it, Susan. You got lucky. Even if you don't know who your soulmate is you get to love sunsets in a way I never will. It's okay. I don't need colors. Just like you don't need your soulmate."  
LaF had to bit their tongue to keep from admitting their suspicion. It was scary to admit that their first colors mimicked those of Perry's coiled hair and sparkling eyes so closely they might have been trying to paint a picture of them. 

At 15 LaFontaine fell in love. They wanted to know everything about their new soulmate and was desperate to find out everything as quickly as they could. Science filled the gap that Perry left when she had dates. Not just little kid, baking soda and vinegar science, but real, proper science. LaF became determined to be a proper scientist. Perry thought it was silly.  
"I'm just saying that science is the hardest field to pursue as a woman."  
LaF flinched a bit, their lips curling back uncomfortably. They couldn't even pinpoint why.  
"Yeah, says the future German lit major."  
Perry rolled her eyes and shoved LaF's head softly where it was rested in her lap. Lola shifted against the wall, lifting her book higher away from LaFontaine's. "I'm just saying if you want to do this, be a doctor. You could help people. You could even study the colors phenomenon."  
LaF rolled their eyes. "They've been studying the Colors phenomenon for eons. I feel like if there was a logical explanation it would have presented itself already."  
"Everything has an explanation, Susan."  
"That's so incredibly boring of you, Perr. Some mysteries aren't meant to be solved." 

At 17 they applied to all the colleges with the best biology programs and Perry applied to all the colleges with the best German programs they got accepted into one common school.  
LaFontaine was determined to get Perry to go to that school. "Silas will be fun. It's far away so our parents won't popping in randomly. It seems like a really friendly place. We might even meet some cool people."  
"And if we don't? What then? What if everyone hates me and it's awful?"  
"Then you'll still have me."

When they are 18 and they get to school, LaF is so excited, they might burst.  
"It's so awesome, Perr. I've already met three other bio majors and one girl who asked me if I did any sports and was really disappointed when I said no but invited me to this event anyway and..." They trailed off, noting the scrunched up look on Perry's face. Not the normal I'm-very-focused-on-decontaminating-these-curtains look, something LaF didn't recognize. "Perr, is something wrong?"  
Perry deflated, sagging into the bed. LaF crossed from where she had been lounging after getting back to sit next to her.  
"Whats wrong?"  
"It's supposed to be normal. I was supposed to be out."  
"What are you talking about, Perr? Out of what?"  
Perry seemed to register her mistake all at once. She pulled away from where LaF had wrapped an arm around her, straightening her spine. "Nothing, sweetie." She wiped away lingering tears and stood, returning to her task of tidying. "Really, I'm just stressed about the move and everything."  
LaFontaine didn't believe a single word. "Perr, if something is wrong you can tell me."  
Perry twisted and looked LaF head on. "I'm fine, Susan."  
LaFontaine's nose crinkled. "Hey, Perr? I have a favor to ask you."  
"What is it?" Perry turned away again, "Because I already told you that I will organize your drawers for you."  
"It's not that. It's... just when we meet new people, I'd rather you introduce me as LaFontaine. Not Susan."  
Perry shot them a look, "Why?"  
LaFontaine shrugged, playing it casual, "I just want to separate myself from high school."  
"Is that why you cut all of your hair off? It looks fantastic, but I was wondering why you made such a drastic change. Your hair was nearly past your shoulders."  
LaF smiled. Things went back to normal, and Perry's little freak out was almost forgotten. Almost.

When they are 19 Laura Hollis drags them in to her shit. LaFontaine saw Perry being dragged down the hall and hopped off their bed to follow. They had almost gotten use to the weird around here. Goat sacrifices, weird occult-ish clubs, not sharing a room with Perry, Missing girls, it was awful but they couldn't really do anything. But blood in a milk container, that they could handle. When Perry dragged them away they couldn't help but notice how Carmilla's colors matched. And that Laura had her folders in rainbow order. When they tell Perry this her eyebrows shoot in to her hairline. "Laura didn't mention it at the mixer." She chirped, swinging the door to her floor don room open. "In fact she was talking about how jealous she was of Betty. Betty could see colors." She clarified.  
“I guess it’s recent then.” LaF replied.  
Perry’s nose scrunched. “What do you mean; Carmilla’s colors matched?”  
“Oh, well, a lot of the time people who don’t see colors mix up shades. I apparently get my blues wrong even with my colors.”  
Perry’s face was still contorted. “Do my colors match?”  
LaF looked up at Perry, “Why are you worried about it? It's not like most people can tell.”  
Perry huffed, clearly bothered more than she should be. “I just don’t want to be walking around looking silly to those who can.”  
“Perr,” LaF bumped Perry’s arm, “You look great.”

LaFontaine couldn’t think of a time in their life when they had fought with Perry. Maybe at some point they had disagreed about something trivial, but an actual fight, a not-speaking-to-each-other, lingering-anger, actually-staying-in-their-own-room-not-Perry’s, honest to Einstein fight; it had never happened. LaF felt more than a little lost. They hadn’t gone this long without talking to Perry since Perry had gone on vacation to Jamaica for a week when they were ten.  
Laura assured her it would be alright. “She just doesn’t understand. Adjustments are hard, especially for those closest to you. When I told my dad he didn’t need to be worrying about the neighbor boys so much as the neighbor girls, he didn’t take it so well. But her learned. So will Perry.”  
“It’s different with Per. It’s always been different with Perry.” Laf fiddled with the yellow case on Laura’s pillow, “I think she might be my soul mate.”  
It was the first time they had said it out loud. Ever. To anyone, even them-self. Laura’s eyes grew ten times their normal size. “Wow. That’s… Wow.”  
“It’s probably crazy and I’m probably wrong but the only things I can remember that never had colors happened before I met Perry, but as soon as she enters my memory, so do colors. It’s always been her. It’s always been.” LaFontaine trailed off.  
Laura seemed to think about it, LaF always admired that, Laura would take anything serious if shown how much it mattered. LaF felt her shift in her seat, the realization hitting her slowly then rushing in suddenly.  
“But, Perry doesn’t see colors, does she?”  
“No. Never has. I think my seeing them gave her a complex. For the longest time she didn’t give a shit about them but recently she’s been so worried about it, like, asking me if her outfit matches and asking if the colors on her powerpoint make sense out of grayscale.”  
“Her outfits always match. For the last few weeks, at least.”  
“I know it’s insane that she worries.”  
“No, LaF.” Laura smiled, “Her outfits always match.”  
LaF let the words settle. “Holy shit.”  
“Yeah.”  
A deep melancholy set in over LaFontaine. “She met her soul mate.”  
“Yeah.”  
“And it’s not me.”  
Laura’s face contorted. “Yes it’s you. Of course it’s you. She’s your soul mate, that makes you hers.”  
“No, Laura. It doesn’t work like that. It’s actually less common to be your soul mates soul mate, than it is to not. About 45% of the population have corresponding. The rest of us are SOL.”  
Laura’s face fell. “Oh.”  
Then it hit LaFontaine in a moment of embarrassed realisation. “Oh my god, you see colors don’t you.”  
Laura’s cheeks reddened and her head ducked. “Yeah,”  
“When did it start?”  
“About three days after Carm moved in. I really met Danny the next day, talked to her and all, not just in passing. Figured it was preemptive color granting.”  
LaF’s face smoothed over in to a look of sympathy, “But she doesn’t see colors.”  
“I compliment her on her jeans and she said “They’re green?”” Laura laughed, a sense of pity through it.  
“I guess we’re both lost in this.”  
“I guess so.”  
They sat with the realization for a bit, then settled in for a night of bad movies and self pity.

When Susan went missing Perry nearly lost it. This doesn’t happen, not here not so far away from the coven, and any witchy danger. She refused this. She refused it.  
But that wasn’t bringing her best friend back anytime soon. She just wanted it to be normal. Normal people didn’t have witch mothers, normal people weren’t prone to walking in to mystical situations, normal people didn’t suddenly have colors after they didn’t meet anyone new and the only event of note was that her best friend told her she couldn’t call her by her name anymore.  
After their fight Perry had expected that she would have to give her a day, and then Susan would come by her room. She always came by her room. This whole thing would blow over and they would forgive each other. Then She didn’t come by. She were practically living in Perry’s room so why wouldn’t She come by, at least to grab a toothbrush. She couldn’t help but watch Laura’s videos, hoping to find some solace in them.  
When LaF wouldn’t even look her in the eyes it nearly caused a break down. She ended up muttering to herself over and over that night. “Just keep calm. Be normal. Keep calm. Be normal.” The words were little comfort without Susan there to assure her that it was all okay.  
When she finally had herself under control she waited until a reasonable hour to go see Susan. When she saw the note, her heart nearly stopped. She recognized the note card for the first time she met Laura, when she had come by prattling on about her missing roommate. Perry fumed, clearly this was some joke in bad taste. She shoved the note card in her pocket without reading it and swung the door open. And it was a wreck. Susan had always been messy but this was a new level. The samples she had on her desk were overturned, her bed was shoved off from the wall like she had tried to hide behind it, the bathroom sink was broken, like someone had ripped off a handle as a weapon. Perry pulled the card from her pocket again and quickly scanned it, then in a panic took off for Laura’s room.

When she has her- them. When she has them back Perry can’t help the mounting feeling of guilt. As LaF searched for “party music” and presumably posting on twitter about it, Perry swirled around behind them, cleaning up the best she could. It was terrifying. They weren’t supposed to be like this. They were supposed to be okay. They were supposed to be the normal one the one who Perry could always fall back to. Perry was supposed to keep them safe. 

When LaF came to their first sight was Perry, surrounded by vampires, woefully outnumbered. And LaFontaine went bat-shit. They could have torn the Dean apart with their bare hands at that point. No one hurts Perry. LaF was proud to say they had earned more than a few bruises in high school when people were mocking one of Perry’s Hanukkah sweaters, and LaF was proud to say they earned more than a few bruises ripping a vamp far far away from Perry. 

After everything, after Carmilla died, and after Carmilla came back, after the fleeing and the angry villagers and the Mrs. Clause from hell, tucked in a booth in an old bakery, they finally sat down and had a conversation like normal people do.  
“I was so scared of losing you. I’m sorry. I just… I’m not use to change.” Perry dropped her head, not meeting LaF’s eyes. “I was worried if things changed I would lose the things I love about you.”  
“You’ll never lose me, Perr. I’m still me. Just… New pronouns.” LaF smiled.  
“I know that now, but with everything that was happening it just felt like one more thing to worry about and I know that’s selfish and I never want to make you uncomfortable and-”  
“Perr, you are beyond forgiven. I can’t stay mad at you.”  
Perry smiled, that strange shy smile LaF would never grow sick of. “I can’t stay mad at you either. LaFontaine,” Perry’s demeanor shifted, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and there’s something I never told you… I can see colors now.” She looked up, something comparable to guilt on her face.  
Then is was LaF’s turn to look guilty. “Yeah, I kinda know.”  
Perry’s brow scrunched in confusion. “How do you know? I didn’t tell anyone.”  
“Laura pointed out a few weeks ago the fact that your color coordination is on point.”  
“Oh.”  
“It was when we were fighting so I didn’t say anything.”  
“It’s alright. I was just…” Perry cleared her throat, as if trying to gain full attention, “When I realized I was seeing colors I was confused because I hadn’t met anyone new in the twenty four hours before hand, and I didn’t know who on earth it could possibly be.” Perry took a breath, “Then I realized I had. The day I got colors, the night before, I mean, you told me you were LaFontaine not... I think…” LaF wasn’t breathing, unable to risk ruining whatever Perry was going to say, “LaFontaine, I think you might be my soulmate.”  
LaF’s smile spread across their face, “I think you’re mine, too. Before you in my memories, it’s black and white but as soon as I met you; color.”  
Perry smiled, “I was so worried you were going to say you didn’t think the same.”  
LaF smiled back, more than a little miffed.  
Perry’s smile doubled, “Well, this was interesting.”  
LaF broke into laughter, thinking about how strange this whole thing is, but this was them and Perry, strange had always been their default.


End file.
